


The Very Awekward, If Somehow Cute, First Meeting

by Lilablassblau



Series: Bartender!AU [2]
Category: Castle
Genre: Family, Fluff and Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-22
Updated: 2015-11-22
Packaged: 2018-05-02 21:12:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5263769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lilablassblau/pseuds/Lilablassblau
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Kevin bartends, Javier is overprotective, their friends are concerned and Castle just wants his story.</p>
<p>Or: How Javier met that very cute witness and Castle learns some more about Kevin Ryan. </p>
<p>PS: As promised some bartending.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Very Awekward, If Somehow Cute, First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> As always my thanks to the lovely detective_rysposito for her wonderful help.
> 
> This little, wacky AU grows on me, so I will write more. Thanks for all the lovely reviews and demand for more. I hope you like this part as well.

It was noisy. Sinatra was raving about a trampy lady in the background, people were squeezing by them in their way in. He saw Karpowski leaning over the wooden bar, only her legs were still attached to her high chair, laughing out loud. In her hand was an almost empty martini glass. All around the bar, Castle recognized many people from the 12th. 

“You guys go to a bar called ‘The Slaughterhouse’?” 

Ike and Espo cracked a laugh. 

“Shouldn’t it be something more conventional like ‘O’Kelley’s’ or ‘Bullpen’?”

“The guy who owns it, is a retired cop. His last name is Slaughter. I got Kevin his job here after his last got busted,” Espo explained, his eyes fixed on the bar. 

Just when Castle followed his line of sight, he saw a Cocktail shaker fly up, do a 360 midair and go down again. 

“Did you guys see that?”

Again, that smirking, the worst was on Espo’s face. “Was that--?”

The three cops nodded and their ME laughed. “Right, let’s get the best cocktail in town, girl,” Lanie quipped, grabbing Beckett’s hand. 

That’s when he saw Kevin, wearing a grey vest, a purple tie and his shirt pulled over his elbows. He was just filling in two big glasses with something bluish, smiling at the two girls, who squealed in delight. He then stepped around the bar, so Lanie could properly ambush him with a tight hug. 

“Huh, someone is popular,” Castle quipped.

Just when he wanted to follow Ike to the bar, a firm hand on his chest stopped him.

“I just let you come in here, because I trust you. And because Kevin did this thing, where he bends…” His voice trailed off, when he saw the delighted grin on Castle’s face. He cleared his voice, stern cop routine back on.

“This here is nothing you discuss with any witness, suspect or anyone case-related, you hear me?”

“Jeeze, ‘Sito, relax. This bar is bursting with cops and no perp would be dumb enough to steal their favourite bartender.”

“My bartender,” Javi growled, showing him his ringed hand. 

“Right, your bartender,” he gulped and Javi let him go.

“Good, never forget that, writer boy!”

He smoothed down his shirt and frowned. Scary-husband-Espo would never be his favourite. Back at the bar, they shared a surprisingly tame kiss before the group moved on to their booth. 

Yes, if you knew the bartender and the owner, you had your own booth. It even had a pic with them, Javi and Kevin in the middle, everybody all dressed up and grinning happily. “Is that their-?”

“Ah yeah, the greatest wedding I’ve been to: booze, great band and actually hot women. But that’s what happens when two dudes marry and one groom comes from an Irish clan,” a foreign voice said from behind him.

A big dude stood at the table, even bigger than Castle himself, scruff on his face, wearing a simple shirt. 

“Hey, Slaughter, how’s it going?” Espo and him shook hands, slapping each other on their backs. 

“Your hubby poured my whiskey down the drain last week,” he growled and got raised eyebrows from everybody. 

“Uhm, Slaughter, I’m sure it was a misunderstanding,” Espo started, looking over at Kevin with a shake of his head, clearly thinking that yes, his husband very likely poured Slaughter’s whiskey down the drain. And judging from Ike’s delighted chuckle, his partner thought the same. 

“First I wanted to wring that little leprechaun’s neck, because no one touches my whiskey, but then he turned those puppy eyes on me and he put that awesome Irish stuff on the table, which I can’t pronounce, and damn it, I love that little shit.” 

Espo still shook his head, obviously wanting to give his spouse an earful. “Only platonically, of course. I need some good female assets to grab onto.” He turned to the two women at their table. “Speaking of which, hello ladies!” He made a mock bow.

Beckett and Lanie, without even looking up, said simultaneously: “Go away, Slaughter!”

Ignoring this rejection, like this was just a standard part of the evening's program, he turned to Castle. “So, you are the writer! Kev mentioned you. Heard you thought my favourite Irish guy is a Groupie.”

Now, he leaned over Castle, growling again, cause that’s what guys called Slaughter apparently did. Espo leaned back, his arms crossed over his chest, those two dangerous lines appearing in between his eyes. 

“I-what? I, no, Esposito, I would never--” he trailed off, when Slaughter just looked more and more displeased. 

“You think Kev would break his vow for a fling? Think he is easy, eh?”

“Come on, I would never-- I swear guys, Kevin was just screwing around with me. Well, of course not screwing screwing, just screwing, he obviously screws only with…”

Ike was the first, who cracked, then Lanie started to laugh and soon, everybody was laughing. Slaughter was slapping his back hard enough to make him stumble forward. “You’re funny, writer guy. I like you. Alright, Kev will bring your orders, when his shift is over in a couple of minutes.”

Never mind that Castle hadn’t ordered anything, Kevin did indeed show up at their table and placed Castle’s favourite Scotch in front of him. Ike and Espo got their beers, while the girls had their Martinis. Kevin himself put a red wine next to Espo’s cooled bottle, then he just sank down on Espo’s lap and gave him a long kiss, getting groans from the whole crew. 

“Hello, handsome.” Kevin smiled down at his lover and received a smirk and an arm snaked around his hips. The hand clearly rested way beyond the actual back. When his fingers intertwined with Kevin’s fingers, his eyes narrowed. Quickly, he put his fingertips around Kevin’s wrist. 

“Wanna tell me, when you last had a proper meal?”

“I had some fries from Ethan’s last batch…”

“Some fries?! You are shaking,” Espo reached into his abandoned jacket behind him, then produced a small briefcase. Kevin slipped from his lap, a clear scowl on his face. 

“You seriously carry that around?”

Espo produced a small pen and grabbed Kevin’s left hand. “Shut up and give me your finger!” Rolling his eyes, Kevin presented the fingertip of his left index-finger. Quickly, Espo swiped it with what surely was some disinfectant. He then put the pen against the tip and after a click put it away again. When Kevin reached for his glass, Espo slapped it away, not even looking up from his work. 

“Not cool, man,” Kevin pouted, while his husband squeezed some blood from the finger on a small plastic stripe. Espo pulled out a small device from the case and after pressing a button, put the stripe on it. “If that number goes below 80, I’ll make you suffer on next Sunday dinner!” He pulled out some Dextro Energy and offered it to a now silent Kevin, staring at the table. 

“I was going to eat,” he mumbled. 

“After you fainted on your low blood-sugar or maybe shortly before you face planted on the counter?” 

“I already ordered fried chicken from the kitchen, when I started to feel squeezy,” Kevin protested. 

“Well, you are not supposed to feel squeezy at all. Just eat like a normal, healthy person!” Javier snapped. 

“Yes, Mr.-I-don’t-eat-on-cases,” Kevin snapped back. 

“I’m not a diabetic.” 

Okay, that might have been a tad bit too loud as other guests turned their heads. The machine beeped and Esposito hold it up to Kevin’s eyesight. “That’s why I carry it around.”

Kevin slipped from the bench, clearly angry. Esposito grabbed his hand. “Where are you going?”

“My juice is in the kitchen or are you going to make me drink that in front of the others as well?!” 

When Esposito choose to be silent, Kevin turned with a snort. Slowly, Esposito put his case away again. 

“Dude, maybe you should lay off the mother-henning a bit,” Ike commented and received a death-stare for it. Raising his hands in defense, Ike said, “Just sayin’.”

“He knows what happens if he doesn’t eat properly, but yet he refuses to acknowledge it.”

“Maybe a softer approach, then,” Beckett interjected softly and after another icy glare Lanie leaned over and padded Javi’s shoulder. “You worry, we get that, but he just might need more of a partner and less of the already overbearing parental control, hmm?!”

Javier scowled, taking a deep swallow from his bottle, staring at the swing doors that led to the kitchen, but the guy he wanted to see, refused to show. Massaging his neck, Javier still glared at the door, but it was Slaughter that appeared again. 

“Wanna get your petulant puppy? He is distracting everybody back there.”

Javier opened his mouth, a clear “No!” on his lips. 

“Go, you stubborn mule,” Lanie shoved him and with a dramatic eyeroll, Javier got up. 

“I’m doing this for you guys.” 

“Yes, you are our hero, now go!” Beckett couldn’t help her smirk. When their friend vanished from their sight, she chuckled. Castle bit his lips, but then went on anyway. “So that’s what you meant with bickering?”

Much to his surprise, Beckett just laughed. “Not quite. Kevin is on edge, because they want to tell his parents and siblings about the adoption, and he is fearing their judgement. And that leads to thinking.”

“And thinking leads to not eating,” Lanie added. 

“And not eating makes one grumpy Espo,” said Ike. 

“They will be good though, right?,” Castle asked. He wanted to hear about their origin. Espo agreed to tell him about how they got to know each other. Them being back there, probably fighting did not help with Castle’s story time.

“Nah, don’t worry. They’ll be fine. Espo will grunt, Kevin frown and then Espo will melt anyway, big marshmallow he is, and do something inappropriate.” 

Ike and Beckett shuttered at Beckett’s comment, clearly knowing too much about Espo’s apology techniques. 

Castle took a sip from his scotch, frowning at the swinging doors. When they refused to spew out two certain men in a hopefully disheveled state, he turned to the woman next to him. Next best source it was.

“So, these are the issues you meant?” 

Beckett kept drinking on her cocktail, just raising one eyebrow.

“You are not giving up, are you?” Ike was amused. 

“This is the story my Nikki Heat book misses. I just need a little bit more information.” He pouted, so what? He was promised a story. 

They all shared a look, thinking, can we stop him? And coming to the mutual and silent agreement there was no chance Richard Castle backed down from it. 

And let’s face it, Kevin would love that, part-time blogger he is, Lanie’s smile said. So, backstory it is? 

What about Rysposito, Ike’s head nodded towards the door.

They are probably going at it in the back alley anyway, Beckett’s eyeroll implied, which produced another shudder from the two remaining cops and a smirk from Lanie.

“Okay, listen, Castle, here is how they met,” Ike finally spoke up.

*******************************

Rainy would be an understatement, it was pouring. Nothing indicated any more that the day had promised a bright and sunny spring day. And of course a body was found in the park. They tried to park as close as possible and then shielded themselves from the rain with their umbrellas and coats, but the time they had reached the impromptu tend with their body in it, their shoes were muddy and their pants half soaked. 

Some unis were a few meters away from the tend, standing guard around a couple of witnesses. Espo stepped through the entrance. Inside it was already uncomfortable from the many people huddling around a too tiny space, water dripping from the white plastic walls. Lanie huddled over the body, Beckett right next to her.

“Camille Moretti, 32, by her business card a real estate agent. From the clothing I’d say here in Manhattan.” Beckett passed up the bagged wallet, a Louis Vuitton. Espo turned it around and saw the couple of hundreds sticking out. 

“Not a robbery then,” he mumbled. His partner huddled towards Lanie on the ground. “Is that--?” He pointed towards the shiny handle sticking out her chest. 

“Yes, that is a letter opener, a very expensive letter opener, I’d say.”

“Who carries around something like that in a park?” Espo shook his head. People never ceased to amaze him. 

“Someone that follows somebody from the office with the intention of killing,” Beckett mused.

“Detectives?” LT stuck his head inside. The big officer nodded his head outside. “The guy who found the woman wants to leave. He really is insisting on your interview,” he said, pointing somewhere outside.

“Okay, gentlemen, why don’t you indulge the guy, it is raining after all,” Beckett spoke up.

Espo shrugged and nudged Ike to follow him out. Everything better then that impromptu sauna. Outside LT led him to the crime scene lines. Behind him stood another officer, clearly arguing with a man. “... Understand, but the detectives first need your statement,” she said with raised arms. 

“Then you get it,” they heard, then rather saw their witness as he stood right behind the officer. 

“Velasquez, we take it from here,” Espo chimed in, already standing straighter. No witness, rain or not, would bully them on their turf. 

With a grateful smile, the police officer smiled at the two detectives. Stepping away, she revealed a shivering guy, his arms wrapped around himself. His thin white shirt soaked and clinging to his body, showing off what clearly was a well looked after body. The pants were not much better and when Espo’s eyes managed to tear his eyes from the clothing hugging its owner’s backside, he saw the profile of a dark blond guy, wet hair slicked back by his hand. And judging from Espo’s slack face, he really liked what he saw.

What the profile promised, was more than fulfilled, when the guy turned to the two cops. Yes, this was Espo’s type, right down the luscious lips, the cute nose, some perfect skin, those adorable wrinkles on his forehead - all just Espo’s taste. It was all topped though by extremely blue eyes. 

Javi continued to stare. Ike could only guess what was going through that head. Very likely he just caught on to the fact that this guy was their witness, so he had to talk to him and give his address, phone-number, he may even would have to go the precinct with him to protect him from any evil-doers. 

Just when Espo very likely contemplated what restaurant he should take his guy to, Ike had to ruin his perfect date-planning by nudging him and mumbling, “Dude!”

Espo cleared his throat. “I am Detective Javier Esposito, that is my partner.” He waved a dismissing hand at Ike, who couldn’t help his outraged look. Not that Romeo would have noticed anything but blue eyes at that moment. 

“We are so sorry to keep you waiting. You found the body?”

Mr. Perfect sniffed, Espo still staring, and then after some intense blinking to get the water out of his eyelashes, said, “I’m wet!”

“Excuse me?”

He gestured between himself and the cops. “You wanna know what’s wrong with that picture? You have umbrellas and coats and dry underwear, I’ve been standing here, for an hour and I’m wet. Much, much worse, now I’m hungry.” 

A deep scowl darkened his face, and if his lips hadn’t trembled so much, they would have set in a tight, straight line. “I’m not supposed to be that hungry--or wet!”

That would be the moment Ike’s partner usually snapped at a bratty, if understandably moody witness. Not at his personal favourite for a wet t-shirt contest, of course. Espo, still looking very dazed, just moved his umbrella over the witness, shielding him from the rain. And that got his attention, a bewildered one. Eyebrows raised, mouth opened - even Ike had to admit that looked cute. 

“Now, Mr.-?”

The man hugged himself even closer, sniffing again. “Ryan, Kevin Ryan.”

“Kevin, how about we go to our car, I blow up the heating and then we drive to the precinct? I have some clothing stored there and some leftover I can microwave for you and then while you eat, we get your statement.”

Ike hid his smile behind his hand, but he just couldn’t help himself. As soon as Espo had started suggesting warmth, food and dry clothing, the drowning puppy demeanor changed to sunshine on a very rainy day. Ryan smiled at his unexpected knight without a shiny armour and yes, Espo couldn't help wetting his lips. 

Enough was enough, though. Ike nudged Javi hard in his side. 

“Seriously, dude,” Ike hissed, earning an irritated look from Ryan and a glare from his partner. Ignoring all of Ike’s attempts to snap him out of it, Espo just stepped a bit closer to Ryan, standing under the umbrella as well. 

“Let me show you my car.”

*******************************

Lanie clapped her hands together, trying to stop her laughter, but like Beckett, she couldn’t stop her giggling. Ike shook his head with a grin.

“Man, he had it bad. I mean that guy had never any qualms, when it came to flirting, but that was another level. You should have seen his proud look, when he got Kev into his own clothing,” Ike chuckled, while Castle took gleeful notes on his phone. 

He had a hard time imagining the suave detective to fall all over himself just to impress someone, but then again, it was Kevin and he saw how that guy had Javi wrapped around his little finger.

“Something funny?”

Kevin and Espo stood at their booth again. Espo holding a bucket full of fried chicken, while Kevin happily munched on it. His hair was in an ever deeper mess than before and his lips looked freshly kissed, as did Espo’s, who had his free arm around his husband’s shoulder. 

“We were just telling Castle how you made an ass out of yourself, when you met Ryan.”

The scowl on Espo’s face just produced some more wild laughter. 

Kevin just leaned over and kissed him. “Don’t listen to them. I think you were very sweet and romantic,” he winked at him.

“That so? Then why did it take you four weeks to say yes to a date?”

They sat down at the booth again, Espo putting the bucket directly in front of Kevin. When Ike reached for it, Espo slapped his hand away. Kevin grinned and leaned against him. 

“Well, I didn’t know you were being serious. I thought you just wanted to get into my pants. I do look very good in trenched clothing.”

Castle snorted out his scotch.

“And my dad and Sean and Cory and Colin and Stacy being, well being them, I was not that keen on the amount of hassle just for a quick fuck.” He shrugged, grabbing another chicken wing.

Castle looked in between intrigued by Kevin’s description of an apparently over-protective family and appalled by Kevin cursing in such a laid back manner that you almost missed it.

“How did you figure that?” Espo reached into the bucket and offered another piece to Kevin, who bit off it with a soft smile. 

“Sean,” he then shrugged, while still chewing.

“Big brother Sean?” Castle whispered to Beckett, who had again a smirk on her face. 

“Very big, tough Gang-task-force-Detective brother,” she explained and Castle shuddered. He knew by now that Detective Esposito was as tough as they came, but that he still went for Kevin after he knew about three big brothers just made him admire the seasoned Veteran more. 

“And you are telling me that, now?” Espo sounded downright scared. Or maybe not so brave after all.

Kevin patted his face with a closed lipped smile. “Relax, babe, I just mentioned that I found a body and he wanted to know who caught the case. So, I mentioned your name.” The man started to chuckle, covering his mouth. “He went all ‘did he hit on you?’ You know, usual Sean-bullshit.”

“So what did you tell him?”

Again a shrug. “The truth!”

Castle had to give it to Kevin, it was funny to see Espo so nervous. 

“That you barely said two words that were not case-related!”

The whole table interrupted into wild laughter. Ryan laughing as well, trying to invade Espo’s slap aimed at his head. 

“He got you there, Javi,” Lanie chimed in. 

“Yeah, but what about my clothing?”

“Ah, he never asked about that.” Kevin fetched his last chicken, still chuckling. 

“So, you lied?”

Slowly chewing, Kevin pointed at his glass, which was then handed to him by Beckett. 

“I omitted,” he said after a short sip at his wine, nodding at himself.

Espo by then just shook his head, a strange impression of admiration and incredulity on his face. 

“Oh, come on, babe, you know that lot. If I had mentioned anything, they would have gone nuts and wouldn’t have left me alone. Very likely Colin would have blurted out something to Dad and then you would have had the Captain at your desk. And I would have never heard of you again.”

Castle’s eyebrows shot up. The Captain? Kevin was Patrick ‘left hand’ Ryan’s youngest? Beckett had said retired cop, not the former Captain of the 22nd, NYPD-legend. By Beckett’s amused snort, she had caught on to Castle’s surprise. 

“I would have still showed up at your doorstep,” Espo insisted. 

“Yeah, because tough Veteran and all?” Castle asked sceptical.

“Nah, but their brother and son is pretty irresistible,” Espo grinned, gaining an coordinated “Aaww!” by Lanie and Kevin, a snort from Beckett and a head shake from his partner. Kevin leaned over and kissed him.

“Right answer, husband,” he smiled and received a pleased grin in return. 

They drank some more. Ryan sharing their progress with their adoption, sounding very excited. Espo listened mostly, one hand always on his husband, nodding now and then. And really, they were a great couple, Castle had decided. Kevin would be a great addition to his story, an outsider that still clearly was an important part of this family of choice. Not to mention, owner of the juiciest Espo blackmail material. So, yeah, he was sure the fun loving Irishman would love being to be a character in his newest book. Espo, not so much.

“My private life is just that, private,” Espo snapped, while draping the coat on Kevin’s shoulders. Kevin just rolled his eyes. Just before they were about to leave - Espo had grunted something about home chores, which Kevin cheerfully translated for them as “my big bad husband-cop means sex” - twisted in his arms again and pointed at Castle’s phone then formed a phone with his fingers, winking. 

Before Espo took notice, Kevin leaned into him and they both were out. Castle took up his phone and sure enough, there was Kevin’s number under Ryan-Esposito no less. 

“Something the matter, Castle?” Beckett just was about done with her third drink, pleasantly buzzed and looking just gorgeous. It was distracting enough, but the fact that a harmless looking bartender had evidently hacked his phone, while he was right next to him, just blew his mind. 

“He --uhm, Kevin?!”

“Ah, he got into your phone?”

Castle nodded and saw the rest of the crew share one of those meaningful looks, meaning he stumbled into another piece of the ‘Kevin Ryan-mystery’. He looked at the number. And this time he had the best source to solve it.


End file.
